Start planning now for more SunRail service: Editorial

Winter Park SunRail

Gary W. Green / Orlando Sentinel

Merchants along Park Avenue report increased customer traffic and sales since the May debut of SunRail. The city's station is one of the few along the commuter-rail route that allows riders to quickly walk to area businesses. Winter Park, Fla. Wednesday, July 2, 2014. (Gary W. Green/Orlando...

Merchants along Park Avenue report increased customer traffic and sales since the May debut of SunRail. The city's station is one of the few along the commuter-rail route that allows riders to quickly walk to area businesses. Winter Park, Fla. Wednesday, July 2, 2014. (Gary W. Green/Orlando... (Gary W. Green / Orlando Sentinel)

There have been some bumps on the track for SunRail, Central Florida's fledgling commuter rail system, in its first couple of months of operation. Several collisions with vehicles stuck at road crossings. Temperamental ticket machines. Malfunctioning crossing gates. A clunky website.

State and local leaders should be doing all they can to help the system maintain and build on its early momentum. It's not too soon to plan for adding cars and expanding service. They'll be sorry if they haven't when next year's reconstruction of Interstate 4 gets underway. So will countless motorists.

And if gasoline prices spike, demand will almost certainly go up with them. South Florida's commuter train, Tri-Rail, had record demand five years ago when gas reached $4 a gallon.

Recently SunRail managers added a car to ease congestion on the system's most popular late afternoon train, but soon dropped it. A state Transportation Department spokesman explained that SunRail needs to keep some equipment in reserve for the system's scheduled expansion in 2016 north to DeLand and south to Poinciana.

Congressman John Mica, the prime mover behind SunRail, has an idea: transferring a half-dozen self-propelled train cars from South to Central Florida when they're available at the end of the year. The cars would allow SunRail to keep up with demand and expand service. Running trains later at night, on weekends and for special events are possibilities.

Operating the additional cars would add to the system's cost; planners are still running the numbers. Unless the totals turn out to be much larger than insiders are anticipating, state government should dedicate the dollars.

While the state is filling the gap between revenue from fares collected and overall operating expenses for SunRail, local governments will be on the hook starting in 2021. That means if state leaders are willing to commit additional funds to expand service, local leaders will need to be on board, too.

Leaders at both levels, working together, also could better persuade Congress and the Obama administration to commit any additional federal funds.

Expanding the capacity of an alternative to I-4 is just one good reason to add to SunRail service. Easing traffic on other congested roadways, transporting more people more efficiently to businesses and events up and down the rail corridor, and spurring more jobs and investment near stations are others.

State and local leaders should make sure SunRail reaches its potential — as soon as possible.